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2008 Reunion Nashville TN Sept 25-28 Large Newport Dealeys insignia patches are in. See Newport Dealey News page link below for details
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Last update 13 May 08
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Home of the Newport Dealeys
"Shipmates Forever"
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This site is dedicated to the Nine Dealeys Class ships that were based in Newport Rhode Island from 1954 through 1973 USS Dealey DE-1006
USS Cromwell DE1014
USS Hammerberg DE-1015
USS Courtney DE-1021
USS Lester DE1022
USS John Willis DE-1027
USS Van Voorhis DE-1028
USS Hartley DE-1029
USS Joseph K Taussig DE-1030
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Chairman’s Message
16 Feb 08
Dear Newport Dealeys Shipmates
Can you believe it that our tenth annual reunion is coming up fast. It will be in Nashville TN on Sept 25-28 and is now in the planning stages. The notices from Military Locators should be out around mid June.
As I look back, what a ten years it has been. It was about ten years ago this spring that Chief Ernie Pina YN3, USS Hartley 1960, found a small USS Hartley web site on the internet and began making phone calls to pass the word. When I got his call after being out of the Navy for 37 years and we began reminiscing about our short time on the Hartley, I felt my Navy experiences resurfacing and knew this was something that I wanted to be part of. The internet was in its infancy back then with very little historical information available on line. The Hartley page had been posted by Allen Lloyd BM3 of the USS Hartley 1966-67. I contacted him and offered photos to add to his site including many USS Lester photos. He accepted, and created a USS Lester page. The timing was perfect. Shipmates began searching the internet with their new computers and found Allen’s site which eventually had to be expanded to accommodate the additional shipmates from other Dealey class ships. A few months later, Ernie called again to report that a good number of shipmates had checked in and were inquiring about a reunion. With his past reunion experiences and previous organizing relationship with Military Locators and Reunion Services, our first reunion was held in Aug 1999 at the Ramada Inn in Seekonk MA., with 45 shipmates and guests in attendance. Ernie took on the roll as our first Chairman. At the conclusion of the festivities, he asked us if we would like to continue with annual reunions. Of course everyone said yes, then, he asked for a volunteer to chair the next one. With our basic Navy training that told us to never volunteer, the room was quiet. However, I got the feeling that this was too good to let go, so with agreed assistance from Ernie I accepted the Chairmanship for our 2000 Lake George reunion. It was an over whelming success with 148 shipmates and guest in attendance including Mrs. John H. Willis whose husband was killed in the battle for Iwo Jima in 1945 and is the name sake of the John Willis DE 1027. Mrs. Willis has since adopted us as “her boys” and has attended all our reunions since.
After the second reunion, our subsequent Newport Dealey’s gatherings have taken on a life of their own, we have had annual reunions in Norfolk VA, Charleston SC, Lancaster PA, Warwick RI, Jacksonville FL, Baltimore MD and Philadelphia PA, with Bob Kitchens, USS Lester, Charlie Holzchuh, USS Hartley and Jerry Skorch, USS Joseph K Taussig serving as chairmen. Our success to date is directly related to the dedication of these individuals, our reunion committee and the experiences of our reunion organizers Military Locators. We have also adopted the name Newport Dealeys, created our own web sites and designed our unique insignia. Shipmates continue to find us on the internet and have generously forwarded to us many copies of photographs and other memorabilia to share with reunion attendees. Our master listing presently consists of over 1900 names of shipmates that have served on our nine Newport Dealeys ships (including deceased).
A comment that I encounter frequently from new shipmates checking in, is that they are concerned that if they went to a reunion they wouldn’t know anyone. I generally convey to them that I personally, along with other shipmates have gotten reunited with shipmates that we never thought we would ever see again after leaving the Navy. We relived the old days (on dry land). As many shipmates served on more that one Dealey class DE and we’ve all experienced joint squadron exercises, there is much more in common to reminisce than one would first imagine. In addition, it’s interesting to learn what shipboard life and deployments were like under different commands prior to your reporting for duty and again after you left until its decommissioning. I always caution them that you can get hooked, this is “addictive”.
Marc Arsenault
Newport Dealeys 2008 Reunion Chairman
USS Hartley 1960-61
USS Lester 1961-62
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This is Latch
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The story of Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann
By Weymouth D. Symmes
Reviewed by Marc Arsenault
March 2008
I’ve just completed this excellent written book on the naval career of one of our own Newport Dealeys shipmates. LCDR Roy Hoffmann was the commanding officer of the USS Cromwell 1961-63 and has attended several of our reunions. The book covers his ancestry, family and early years to his entry in the Navy during WW2. The story then continues through his shipboard experiences in the Korean War, follow-on commands including a very detailed report on his tour of duty in Vietnam, to his retirement in 1978 and his post retirement career. The latter parts deal heavily on his activities with the Swift Boat Veterans and POWS for Truth during the 2004 Presidential campaign and how their efforts effected the outcomeof the election.
The book includes many candid interviews with Swift Boat Veterans which gives us an in-site to the day to day life of those who served with the inland water patrols and the danger which confronted them every day.
Swift Boat veteran Weymouth Symmes cleverly presents the Admiral’s life story with timelines that are connected to popular music and political events of the era to which we can relate, as his naval career develops.
I highly recommend this book for all Newport Dealeys shipmates as a portion of his career paralleled our tours of duty aboard the Dealey class DEs and provides us with a broad view of Naval activities which extend beyond the confines of a our small ships.
Marc Arsenault ET2
USS Hartley DE 1029
USS Lester DE 1022
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